The British Consul General in Majorca has warned all British citizens living in the Balearic Islands to finalise their residency to ensure a smoother process post-Brexit.

Lloyd Milen, British Consul General in Catalonia, Balearic Islands, Aragon & Andorra, made the comments during an informative conference for the British community on the island of Majorca called ‘Brexit and You’ which was held at the OD Port Portals hotel.

Around 17,000 British citizens live on the island of Majorca in the eastern Spanish region of Balearic Island, with around 22,000 British citizens living in the whole region.

Milen also sent a message to the president of Spain Pedro Sanchez to guarantee the rights not only of the British citizens living in Spain but European citizens living in the United Kingdom.

The first step is, according to him, for the respective governments to promote residency requests for the foreign citizens living abroad.

Milen stressed the calm provided by the transition period for Brexit as the UK has until December 2020 after the agreement is official so that its citizens and companies can adapt to leaving the European Union (EU).

He said: “We are working to get the agreement. There are lots of questions that cannot be answered, as until the exit is complete, it will be impossible to talk about the future.”

According to local newspaper Diario de Mallorca, what British citizens in Majorca are most concerned about is “the healthcare system, the pension system and if their passports will be valid” as well as the right to vote or to be a candidate in municipal elections.

Local media report British bookings for trips to Majorca are decreasing but Milen said: “The Balearics are in the soul of Brits, they were travelling here before the EU and now they will keep travelling here.”

Tony Verrier, a businessman who lives between London, Majorca and Dubai, said the residency paperwork will not be the solution to the problems caused by Brexit.

He said “maybe I will need to sell my properties”, among them a restaurant, as only being allowed to stay on the island for three months is not worth it.